In the Keeping of the Elves
by Aromene
Summary: On the Anduin, Frodo mentions to Aragorn about “...Caras Galadhon, where Galadriel wields the Elvenring.” And Aragorn answers, “That should not have been said outside Lórien, not even to me.” How is it that Aragorn knows of Galadriel’s ring? A shirebunny.


**Disclaimer: They belong to Tolkien, and to Peter Jackson, and to any number of other people. None of which are me.**

**Shirebunny: On the Anduin, Frodo mentions to Aragorn about "...Caras Galadhon, where Galadriel wields the Elven-ring." And Aragorn answers, "That should not have been said outside Lórien, not even to me." How is it that Aragorn knows of Galadriel's ring? Did she speak of it to him? Did Arwen tell him about it, or Elrond? Did he perceive it upon her finger, as Frodo did? Come to think of it, does Aragorn know about Elrond's ring, and perhaps even Gandalf's? How many secrets and burdens does he bear, alone and silent? Do he and Frodo talk about any of this?**

**Author's Note: I meant to write something along this vein sometime…a few years ago. And then I never did. So, because shirebound was nice enough to post this new shirebunny, I have been given incentive! But this also took a turn I did not expect. The first sentence came to me one evening out of no where, and I thought it worked. It just didn't necessarily work with the story I meant to write. So here's the one I wrote instead. :D

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Galadriel had been the first to set one of the Rings on her hand. The first to attempt to wield the power after Sauron had been defeated. She had always been daring, but that had not stopped her from being cautious. But Elrond had been more so. He was not willing to take the risk, not so soon afterwards, in case something went wrong. He wished to bring no harm to the Valley he had sworn to protect.

But once Galadriel had done it, and had easily mastered its purpose: to preserve, to heal, to _save_, there had been nothing stopping him.

The feeling it gave to him the first time he placed it on his finger had been more amazing than anything else he had ever experienced. He felt stronger. And yet, it was a strength that came from a power he realized belonged solely to the Ring. It was an illusion of a sort, but it would not remain for long. It took a surprisingly short time to become accustomed to the feel of Vilya on his finger; until, in only a few short years, the power had become as much a part of him as breathing. He tried once, to remove the Ring and set it aside, but the loss of it was more than he could bear.

And then he had discovered its _other_ uses. Lórien had already become a place out of time before ever Galadriel wielded the Ring, and it only grew more so in the centuries that followed. But Elrond had never closed Rivendell in such a way, feeling that if it was to be a sanctuary to all, then to distance it from the outside world would only make it difficult for those who sought its peace. But in the years that followed the peace and tranquility of the place deepened even to the notice of the elves. Those that came to see rest or healing found it more quickly than was entirely normal. Simply being in the Valley was often enough all that it took to cure exhaustion of long travel or the worry of the sick.

Elrond had been aware of the change for some time, but it was Celebrían, when she first arrived in the Valley as his wife that had made he realize exactly how much it had changed since before the War. She had explained to him that it had become much like her own land, and yet was even more peaceful.

Nevertheless it was truly Celebrían herself, Elrond had thought, that had brought him peace.

And then, the peace and happiness that Elrond had found came to a nearly abrupt end.

Half-elven were something of an oddity to the elves, and even more to Elrond himself, who, since Elros had died, had been the only Peredhil this side of the sea. Elrond had not really considered that mortal blood might cause such problems. He had been so overjoyed when Celebrían had announced her pregnancy. He realized that children were something he had been waiting for; his life now felt complete.

The pregnancy had not been difficult for her, in the manner of the elves. But the labour turned out to be a disaster. Elrond had attended complicated births before, but no elf had ever suffered such problems. He was astounded, and terrified. Every hour that passed Celebrían grew weaker, and Elrond prayed that something, some _miracle_ would happen. But nothing did. In one last desperate attempt to save Celebrían and the babes, Elrond turned all his strength upon her, and pulled from Vilya when his own was not enough. And the Ring had responded. It had flooded him with so much power he had nearly lost control. And Celebrían had been strengthened, and in moments the babes were born, healthy and whole.

It had been hours later before he had sat down to consider what had happened. The realized that such a thing should not have surprised him; if the Ring gave him the strength to heal the Valley, then why should it not do the same for a _person_?

And it did. Again and again Elrond used it, and found that those he could not cure before, he found the strength to heal now. The Ring had saved Elladan's life when he had fallen at the High Falls and cracked his skull and Arwen when she had nearly drowned in the river at the age of ten.

Then Estel had entered their lives. One night, angered that he could not go with his brothers hunting, he had fled the house into an approaching storm. It had been dawn before he had been found, and already he was so far gone in fever that no medicine could cure him. Elrond had fed as much power into him as his young body could take, and Estel had survived. And when he had opened his eyes and gazed up at his father, he had reached out for the hand that bore Vilya upon it. At eleven, Estel already knew his history well, and was often too intelligent by half. He had _known_, and Elrond had not been able to lie. Gandalf had warned him that such a secret was dangerous, but Elrond knew, that if there was any he could trust to keep it, Estel would. He was soon to bare many more secrets.

Elrond never did figure out when Estel had learned that Gandalf too bore a Ring, but he had returned that one spring from his journeys to the south, and Elrond had realized he knew of Narya, and that he knew also of Nenya. They had never spoken of it. But Estel had taken the secret with him to the next world, as Elrond had known he would.

Frodo would be the only other who ever knew the truth, and like Estel, he bore such secrets well.


End file.
